New Appointment

Ewen McDonald, who is currently Australia's High Commissioner to New Zealand the Cook Islands and Niue, will take up the role.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne said the office, which was announced in November, will help Australia to better engage with the Pacific.

"This will build on our already deep relationship with the region and support the delivery of the Australian Government's package of innovative new initiatives in the Pacific, including labour mobility and infrastructure financing," Ms Payne said in a statement.

“He will take over when the incumbent Mr Wez Norris leaves us in mid-January.”

There were two significant points revealed in Mr Movick’s announcement at the Philippines International Conference Centre.

“Matthew being a New Zealand citizen has the distinction of spending some of his childhood and early schooling in Tokelau. So that’s rather distinctive as not many people have been to Tokelau and he’s spent his early years growing up and going to school there.”